I have a problem with the cliche monster and I really don't know how to kill it...

I have a Fantasy WIP where my "bad guy" is currently called "The Lord of Darkness"

While it fits quite nicely for what I want him to be, it is so cliche even I am tired of it. There is what, like 34,000 of them to date? Anybody have any other titles I could use that sounds evil and invokes a sense of power/intrigue?

I'm struggling over here. He is a god with dominion over the dead and a race of creatures that he perverted nature to create. He is not trying to destroy the world, only enslave it.

Thanks for any help you may be willing to give.

jst5150

03-25-2008, 10:47 PM

I'd recommend being more specific to your WIP. What's the situation? Why choose Lord of Darkness? Is there a magic or sorcery that he controls with a proper name that might be more appropriate? Is there some sort of geography he's lord over. Race of people? Sort of political or religious movement?

The solution lies in digging yor hands into the roots and dirt of your WIP and understand why the cliché name applies now and what specific name would apply better later. His name might end up being "Shlomo," but if that's what makes sense for your WIP, then welcome Shlomo! :)

mscelina

03-25-2008, 10:50 PM

go to Babel Fish. (http://babelfish.altavista.com/) Enter Lord of Darkness into the text box. Then see what you come up with in different languages. In Portuguese, for example, it translates to senhor da escuridão. Take that translation and warp it into a title. If it were me, again, just as an example, I'd take the word escuridao and twist it--Escuridaos or Escurido--depending on the linguistic base of most of your other names for people and places.

Anyway, that's what I do when I'm in a bind. Hope this helps.

sheadakota

03-25-2008, 10:50 PM

Lord Shlomo- kind of has a nice ring to it-

sorry-no help at all

Mr Flibble

03-25-2008, 10:51 PM

YOu could try generators. They won't give a great name, but they might give you an 'ooh that gives me an idea!' moment, get your juices flowing

try

here (http://www.seventhsanctum.com/generate.php?Genname=evilnamer)

here (http://www.behindthename.com/random/)
Although if you go for the wrestling name, Angry Masher Fat Basher is mine kk?

and here (http://www.rinkworks.com/namegen/)

Andrew Jameson

03-25-2008, 11:13 PM

Help!!

I have a problem with the cliche monster and I really don't know how to kill it...

I have a Fantasy WIP where my "bad guy" is currently called "The Lord of Darkness"

While it fits quite nicely for what I want him to be, it is so cliche even I am tired of it. There is what, like 34,000 of them to date? Anybody have any other titles I could use that sounds evil and invokes a sense of power/intrigue?
Well, first, answer me this: Just who is calling your bad guy "The Lord of Darkness"? Is it the bad guy himself? Does he strut around thinking to himself, "I'm the freakin' Lord of Darkness. That's so freakin' cool"? Is it the people he's got working for him that call him the "Lord of Darkness"? Or is it the general population that calls him the "Lord of Darkness"?

Let's assume it's the last choice. In that case, why do they call him the "Lord of Darkness"? I mean, the name had to come from somewhere. Did the bad guy announce it himself? (In which case, again: why did *he* do that?) Is there some sort of creation myth that includes your "Lord of Darkness"? What's his relation to the rest of the cosmology? What do the rest of the gods call him?

Point is, names don't just occur; they're applied by someone, at some time. Who labelled your bad guy "The Lord of Darkness"?

SupplyDragon

03-25-2008, 11:33 PM

okay. good question. The name would be used by the general population. More of a title really. Something that they would say in hushed tones while not actually saying his name. (No, not voldermort-ish) More like a superstition. Primitive people scared of the boogie-man - used to scare children into behaving. Most of the populous believe he is a myth.

In truth, he is kind of a recurring threat. Along the same lines of a demon - defeat him and he is banished not completely destroyed type of thing - but way more powerful. We're talking god level here.

He can control the dead, enslave the most powerful of demons on a whim, and everytime he appears on the material plane and takes over an area, a darkness falls -so that his followers can fight in the dark.

Daylight wont hurt them, they are just better in the dark.

Shadow_Ferret

03-25-2008, 11:45 PM

If you're worried about cliches, I'd experience with the words.

Dark Lord
God of Night
Night Father
Lord of Twilight
The Nighted One

See, this is what the thesaurus was meant for.

Sarpedon

03-25-2008, 11:52 PM

Just substitute a different title and something other than 'darkness'

The Grand Duke of the Netherworld.
The Arch-Deacon of Doom.
The Master of the Twelve Lands of Woe.
The Padishah of Pain

What sort of things does he do to people? Maybe that might inspire them to call him something;

The Head-Wrencher
The Orphan-maker
Stab-Master (I did not make up Stab Master! He's a Mayan Deity)
Soul-Loosener
The Corruptor
He-Who-Waits-in-the-Darkness-to-Dismember-You (thank you Calvin and Hobbes)
The Torture Master

Or maybe he has an excessively polite or harmless sounding pseudonym. For example, Satan was sometimes called 'Old Tom.' (Or was it 'Old Nick?')

RainyDayNinja

03-26-2008, 12:00 AM

Can I get a chapter and verse on that?

Sarpedon

03-26-2008, 12:05 AM

on what?

Phaeal

03-26-2008, 12:10 AM

Give him a name as well as the honorary title. The Dark Lord, the Lord of Mordor, the Lord of the Rings is also plain old Sauron. His name could grow out of the language of the people he terrorizes, or it could be wildly different, clearly outside, depending on what you want to say about his origins.

As for the title, hmm. How about the Nightbringer or the Nightmaker, given his propensity for turning out the lights?

SupplyDragon

03-26-2008, 12:20 AM

Give him a name as well as the honorary title. The Dark Lord, the Lord of Mordor, the Lord of the Rings is also plain old Sauron. His name could grow out of the language of the people he terrorizes, or it could be wildly different, clearly outside, depending on what you want to say about his origins.

As for the title, hmm. How about the Nightbringer or the Nightmaker, given his propensity for turning out the lights?

I like it!

maestrowork

03-26-2008, 12:21 AM

Lord FaQue.

James81

03-26-2008, 12:23 AM

I just went to thesaurus and got synonyms for the two words...how about:

"The Black Liege"?

Or go to thesaurus.com and find some words that work better.

I was going to suggest the "Liege of Shadows" but that sounds an awful lot like a group we all know and love from Batman. lol

girlyswot

03-26-2008, 01:08 AM

I think Andrew Jameson has a very good point - why do they call him Lord of Darkness? If he's just a general bogeyman in most people's minds, what are the legends surrounding him? What is he supposed to have done to earn his title? Then find a way of expressing that.

"The Black Liege"?

Liege on its own is ambiguous though. Could be a liege lord or a liege man. Just to say - be careful when using that thesaurus that you really get the word you want.

Marian Perera

03-26-2008, 02:32 AM

The Starless Knight.

Axelle

03-26-2008, 02:38 AM

It also depends if you want the title to actually mean something. Well, for instance, I've been to Poland recently and I've learnt that the great commander in chief of their armies used to be called (might still be called, I'm not sure) the Hetman. From the German Hauptman, I think, which means "leader" or something like that. Well, anyway, such a title has the advantage of sounding mysterious. At least a little. You could pick just about any word you like and make it a title (and you could even say that it means "Lord of Darkness" in some ancient, forgotten Demonic language). In the same line of thoughts, variations on various titles given to real emperors or kings (like the Tzar, the Kronprinz, the Augustus, the Sun-King, etc etc).

IceCreamEmpress

03-26-2008, 02:44 AM

"Master of Shadows"?

seun

03-26-2008, 02:33 PM

Master of Baiting?

HeronW

03-26-2008, 02:38 PM

Nightdrinker, the Black Thirst, Soul Shredder :}

dpaterso

03-26-2008, 02:42 PM

Lord Darkclaw
Old Groaner
Soul Thief
Demon Kisser

or similar friendly nickname.

-Derek

Nakhlasmoke

03-26-2008, 02:44 PM

What is his actual name, just out of interest? Maybe we can play with that and give you something that sparks your imagination.

SupplyDragon

03-26-2008, 04:25 PM

His name is Fisitulses. Ancient ruler of the dead and all around icky bad nasty guy.

Nakhlasmoke

03-26-2008, 04:44 PM

So Fisi-baby, Dark lord of the Privy wouldn't work? ;)

SupplyDragon

03-26-2008, 04:51 PM

:roll:Maybe, but it just doesnt have the ring that i was looking for.

Exir

03-26-2008, 04:53 PM

Nightcatcher

Snowstorm

03-26-2008, 04:53 PM

Why not use a name that's opposite of his personality? I think it is cliche' to use "dark" or ominous names to describe an evil person. You can perhaps give your MC a deeper dimension or another layer of personality by giving him something that has nothing to do with evil, darkness, et al.

If he had a nickname of "Kitty" (okay, it's early and it's all I can think of) or even a "soft" name, he could have a totally different persona but in "reality" still be evil.

Andrew Jameson

03-26-2008, 04:58 PM

okay. good question. The name would be used by the general population. More of a title really. Something that they would say in hushed tones while not actually saying his name. (No, not voldermort-ish) More like a superstition. Primitive people scared of the boogie-man - used to scare children into behaving. Most of the populous believe he is a myth.OK, then. Most people think he's a myth, which implies there's been a long time between his last appearance and now. In that case, it seems like a name similar to "bogey-man" would be appropriate. I mean, saying, "eat your beans, or else Fisitulses, Lord of Darkness will come get you" sounds kind of awkward.

I would think about what occured during this hiatus where your bad guy hasn't appeared. I'm not a linguist, but I would think that names tend to get simplified and corrupted as people forget who they refer to.

For example, suppose six hundred years ago your bad guy was referred to as "the Master of Shadows." That's kind of a mouthful, so maybe 400 years ago the usage slipped to "Shadow Master." Then 200 years ago people just started calling him "shadow man."

And, of course, kids being kids, there's always been a children's game of "the heroes" versus Fisitulses. Six hundred years ago people only whispered the name, but gradually people stopped believing or caring, and the name was corrupted, and kids now play "Heroes versus Fistas".

And their mothers tell them to be home before dark, or else the shadow man will get them.

Jon George

03-26-2008, 05:01 PM

I have a cartoon stuck to my PC which shows a writer hard at work with a big, red light flashing away - it's a cliche-warning beacon.
If you're stuck, I'd suggest getting a big piece of paper and playing with word associations. But why not just start with the basics and turn evrything around? How about The Darkness Lord?

Axelle

03-27-2008, 03:02 AM

You can perhaps give your MC a deeper dimension or another layer of personality by giving him something that has nothing to do with evil, darkness, et al.

I rather agree with that. Take Stalin for instance. In French he was nicknamed the "little father of the peoples". Doesn't really sound ominous, does it ? Yet it does have a certain ring to it... I think the English equivalent was "Father of Nations" or something. And if your dark lord is some kind of egomaniac, such a title would suit him fine. "Protector of Justice" ? That would be pretty ironic. "Caretaker of a thousand lands" might be a little too long, but you see what I mean.

Marian Perera

03-27-2008, 03:05 AM

Melkor (the bad guy in The Silmarillion) was called "He who arises in might". I love that name and that particular construction. I've only seen it once since then - in a book on symbology which said that Hecate was also known as "She who succeeds from afar".

Mklangelo

03-27-2008, 03:05 AM

Help!!

I have a problem with the cliche monster and I really don't know how to kill it...

I have a Fantasy WIP where my "bad guy" is currently called "The Lord of Darkness"

While it fits quite nicely for what I want him to be, it is so cliche even I am tired of it. There is what, like 34,000 of them to date? Anybody have any other titles I could use that sounds evil and invokes a sense of power/intrigue?

I'm struggling over here. He is a god with dominion over the dead and a race of creatures that he perverted nature to create. He is not trying to destroy the world, only enslave it.

Thanks for any help you may be willing to give.

How about giving him a name and not a title? Just go into some medieval literature off of Google, and poke around for a suitable name. I think the Old Testament had names for various demons. In the Hebrew Literature, there was a lord of demons and his name was Asmodai or how about Samael (the angel of death) All kinds of stuff like that out there.